Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1.9 x 15 mm really P-5 and not P-6?
It is P-5. The particle area is 28.5 mm², which fits inside the 30 mm² maximum DIN 66399 sets for P-5 but is well above the 10 mm² ceiling for P-6. P-6 also requires a particle width of 1 mm or less, and this cut is 1.9 mm wide. Any listing describing a 1.9 x 15 mm machine as P-6 is wrong, and it is a common error worth checking on competing quotes.
What electrical supply does it need?
208 V, three phase, 60 Hz, drawing up to 30 amps per phase in the US configuration, for a 4 kW motor. This is not a plug-in appliance. Have an electrician confirm you have a suitable three-phase circuit at the intended location before you order, because retrofitting three-phase service to a building that lacks it costs more than the shredder.
How is the conveyor belt supposed to be loaded?
Spread documents in a reasonably even layer along the belt rather than piling them at one point, and let the belt do the metering. The touch screen controls belt behaviour and the machine stops automatically on an overload. Staples and clips are acceptable. Ring binders, plastic wallets, bulldog clips and hanging-file rails are not, and the belt makes it easier for those to arrive unnoticed — brief whoever loads it.
How often will the 124 gallon bag need changing?
It depends on load, but P-5 output is fine and dense, so a full 470 litre bag is heavy. Many sites run the split configuration with two 235 litre bags precisely so one person can lift them without a second pair of hands. As a rough guide, a full bag of P-5 paper waste at this size is a two-person lift, and planning around that will do more for daily throughput than any specification on this page.
Does it really run 24 hours without a cool-down?
Kobra rates the motor as 24 hour continuous duty with no duty cycle or timed cool-down period, which is the genuine distinction between an industrial machine and an office one. Thermal protection is fitted, but as a fault safeguard rather than a normal operating limit. What does interrupt continuous running in practice is bag changes and, occasionally, clearing a foreign object from the belt.
Do I still need to oil it manually?
No, and that is the value of the AO version. The integrated automatic oiling system lubricates the cutting head on its own schedule. You do have to keep it topped up with the correct shredder oil and check the reservoir as part of routine servicing. A P-5 head starved of oil loses sheet capacity first and then starts jamming, so the reservoir check is the single most important maintenance habit on this machine.
Can it shred cardboard?
Kobra lists cardboard among the materials for the 430 TS line, so light cardboard is within specification. Do not treat it as a box shredder, though. Heavy double-wall corrugate at P-5 particle size is punishing work for a fine cutting head, and if converting boxes is the actual requirement then a purpose-built machine such as the Kobra Flexpack, or the Cyclone with a coarse screen, is the right answer.